Last week ,I was browsing Facebook during a break in the Cavs game (as I so often do when I need to entertain myself during a commercial), and I came across a link posted by Bleacher Report that caught my attention. The headline read “Blake Griffin Explains the Lyrics to Fetty Wap’s ‘Trap Queen.’” Needless to say, my interest was piqued. I watched the video (after the game, of course) and watching these people attempt, and fail, to discern what this lyrical genius is saying in his hit song made me realize how often people don’t know the words to the songs they enjoy (Starbucks lovers, anyone?), and even when they do, often times they don’t know what they mean.
First off, let me just say that I hope the people in this video were kidding with some of their guesses. But somehow I doubt it. Outside of Blake Griffin actually being able to define the term, “a badass bitch” was probably the closest anybody got to actually knowing what a “trap queen” is. Of course, Griffin doesn’t want to incriminate himself by admitting that he not only knows every word to the song, but also the exact meaning behind it (it’s okay, Blake, we know you’re street smart). One of my favorite parts of this video was the innocent Asian girl thinking hoping that “bando” means “penis”. Sorry, sweetheart—not even close. And to the lady who thought the song was talking about a bandeau. Yeah, good guess. I’m sure the trap king specializes in women’s undergarments on the side.
Side note to the guy conducting the interviews: What’s up with your haircut? It looks like you went to your barber or hairdresser or whomever and said “Just ruin me.” But that’s neither here nor there.
For those of you who don’t know, this song is straight up about cooking crack. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts—it’s trap music. From a trap house. Where they cook crack. Do you know who this song was probably made for? Other people in a similar demographic, chilling in their up-and-coming “bando," introducing their own trap queens to their stoves just like Fetty. But do you know who listens to it? A bunch of upper-middle class white college girls who drive BMWs, drink Skinny Girl Vodka and love brunch. Most of them don’t know what he’s saying OR what it means. But hey, it’s got a good beat. So when it comes on and they’re one and a half shots deep, they run onto the dance floor like “OMG u guyZZzzzZzzZ I luvvvvvvvvvv this songgggggggg!!!!!!! Smiley face praying emoji hashtag LuvMyBetches”.
It’s okay though, because I, too, love brunch and cannot relate to the song in any way. But I can’t help wondering what dear Fetty thinks. I mean, he probably DGAF because he’s getting paid one way or another. But I wonder how it affects his street cred. Does he lose business because of it? Is he a laughing stock in his local trap game? Is he respected because it’s a hit? I don’t have an answer to any of these questions. I suppose true art is never understood in its own time. I can only hope that when my children grow up to be successful young trap kings they pay homage to Fetty Wap and the original Trap Queen.
